Ashina Zhuxie immediately stood up and silently walked to the side of General Pasha, kneeling on one knee: "Father Khan, last night I already admitted, the reinforcements I led did not arrive in Taiyuan on time."

Lady Jiayuan smiled and said, "So, Crown Prince, you admit that losing Taiyuan is your responsibility?"

Ashina Zhuxie did not lift his head to look at her, continuing to speak with his head bowed: "However, I also reported to Father Khan yesterday that the reason my reinforcements did not arrive in Taiyuan on time was due to an ambush by the enemy troops along the way."

"Hmm?"

"Right at Shouyang, the enemy seemed to already know that we Turks would dispatch reinforcements to Taiyuan, and also seemed to know the exact route I would take, waiting specifically there for us."

"..."

"Though my soldiers and I engaged promptly in battle, we did not expect to encounter Wang Shaoji’s forces, who mistook us for enemy troops and attacked. In the ensuing chaos, we suffered losses."

"..."

"Afterwards, I was forced to reroute to Qi County, firstly to rest and secondly to survey the situation in the south. But as soon as we reached nearby, we discovered that Qi County had already been taken by the Yuwen Family, leaving me no choice but to return to the Turks."

At this moment, General Pasha, struggling, straightened his body, looked up, and glanced towards Lady Jiayuan seated beside Ashina Shali. She gave him a signal, understandingly he sneered coldly and said: "Crown Prince, despite everything you’ve said, isn’t Taiyuan lost because your reinforcements did not arrive?"

Ashina Zhuxie turned his head to look at him, speaking gravely: "What I am saying is—my movements were leaked."

"..."

"The enemy knew I would be there even before I arrived."

"..."

"However, aside from the main Turkic forces, the only ones who knew my marching route were the Taiyuan Garrison—General Pasha, that is. So who actually leaked my movements, allowing the enemy to set up an ambush for me at Shouyang, have you considered?"

Upon hearing this, Ashina Shali’s gaze immediately turned cold again.

Similarly composed was Shang Ruyi, who had remained silent, trying not to draw attention to herself. Observing General Pasha who, after hearing Ashina Zhuxie’s words, displayed a flicker in his eyes and a shrinking demeanor, she instantly understood what had occurred at Shouyang.

Everything truly was as Yu Wenye had foreseen.

However, what he probably hadn’t anticipated was Wang Shaoji’s forces being involved? Earlier, there had been talk of a troop heading from near Luoyang through Zhiguan Pass into the Taihang Road. It was previously speculated this could be Liang Shide’s forces wanting to join the fray, but now it seems clear it was Wang Shaoji’s men.

The Wang Brothers dividing their forces to fight was originally for prudence.

Yet, unexpectedly, Yu Wenqian exploited this, causing Wang Shaoji and Ashina Zhuxie’s forces to fight among themselves, thus profiting from the chaos. In this way, not only did it weaken the Wang Brothers’ forces but also hindered the Turkic reinforcements, leaving Taiyuan without external aid.

One wonders if this strategy was Yu Wenqian’s own or Ming Yue’s suggestion.

If it was Yu Mingyue, it’s unsurprising but shows this woman is evidently more frightening than previously thought. However, if it was a strategy conceived by Yu Wenqian himself, then his threat surpasses even Ming Yue!

This person, despite chanting Buddha’s name for so many years, has never abandoned military strategy!

While Shang Ruyi was consumed by her thoughts, General Pasha suddenly raised his head again, sneering: "Crown Prince, you’re mistaken. Besides our main forces knowing, our Taiyuan Garrison is aware, and someone else knows."

"Oh? Who?"

"It would be you yourself."

"..."

"Perhaps you leaked your own marching route, giving the enemy the opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Ashina Zhuxie bit his teeth hard, but instead of anger lashed back with laughter, saying: "You’re implying that I leaked my own marching route to let the enemy ambush me? Why would I do that?"

"This, I do not know. After all—"

General Pasha remarked coldly, casting a glance at Ashina Zhuxie, saying: "As the saying goes, different tribes, different minds!"

Upon those words, the entire grassland fell silent.

Ashina Zhuxie’s eyes turned blood-red in an instant, glaring fiercely at him but unable to utter a single word. Meanwhile, Ashina Shali, who had been brooding with a sinister face pondering the Taiyuan situation, suddenly knitted his brows, showing an unusual expression.

He exhaled heavily, saying, "Enough!"

General Pasha froze, looking up at him: "Khan, I—"

Ashina Shali said sternly, "You are to leave, and receive one hundred lashes; your subordinates, fifty lashes each!"

"Khan!"

"Leave!"

General Pasha was still unwilling, but upon lifting his head saw Lady Jiayuan shaking her head gently at him, thus he could only resign, bowing again before struggling to stand, stumbling away.

Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Though only a few people briefly disputed the responsibility for Taiyuan’s fall, she saw the undercurrents flowing through the Western Turkic court.

Reflecting back, upon arriving at Tongguan, they knew Western Turks would dispatch reinforcements to Taiyuan, prompting them to fight on east and west lines, yet the source of the information remains unknown. Ashina Zhuxie’s movements indeed couldn’t have been leaked without reason.

Now it appears highly likely someone deliberately leaked the news, ensuring that their forces ambushed the reinforcements because whether Taiyuan fell or not, Ashina Zhuxie could be held accountable. Should Taiyuan fall, Ashina Zhuxie could be completely blamed; should it not, he could still be accused of failing to meet the timeline.

As for the reason—

Shang Ruyi’s gaze flickered, looking at the gentle and charming Lady Jiayuan, she understood inwardly.

It turns out that in the court of the Western Turks, there were also two princes competing for their future, and behind them, many courtiers had also taken sides.

And it was very obvious that Ashina Zhuxie was at a great disadvantage.

One could only wonder what the final outcome would be.

Just as Shang Ruyi was weighed down with these thoughts, General Pasha was about to walk out of the crowd, when all of a sudden, Ashina Shali said, "Hold on!"

As soon as he spoke, everyone perked up again.

Shang Ruyi also lifted her head, only to see General Pasha immediately turn around and walk back to his seat, murmuring, "Is there anything else you wish to command, Khan?"

With one eye reflecting the firelight, Ashina Shali said slightly flickering, "Who took Taiyuan?"

"...!"

The immediate sound of those words made Shang Ruyi’s heart skip a beat.

Almost simultaneously, she heard Lei Yu beside her instinctively hold his breath, his gaze fixed intently on General Pasha. General Pasha paused for a moment, then furrowed his brow, as if straining to recall something. After a while, he finally said, "In reply to the Khan, it was someone from the Yuwen Family."

Ashina Shali said, "I know it was someone from the Yuwen Family. What I want to know is, who from the Yuwen Family!"

The atmosphere grew even more tense.

Although Shang Ruyi knew that at this point, whoever had taken Taiyuan had nothing to do with her, trapped among the Turks, she still unconsciously held her breath.

General Pasha thought for a while longer, then said, "I think it was Yu Wenye..."

"...!"

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath.

And Ashina Shali’s eyebrows also furrowed slightly, then he said, "Did you see him?"

General Pasha shook his head: "I did not see him myself, but I saw his people, his personal soldiers. Only he should have been able to mobilize them, so the one who attacked Taiyuan that night should have been him."

At this point, he added somewhat unwillingly, "If only reinforcements had arrived in time, we wouldn’t have lost so miserably."

"..."

"Now not only has Taiyuan been lost, but fifty thousand of our troops have also been captured."

"..."

"But even Yu Wenye hasn’t completely benefitted."

"Oh?"

Ashina Shali initially stopped paying attention, but the last sentence piqued his interest again, and he looked up at General Pasha: "What do you mean by that?"

General Pasha said, "While we were fighting with the enemy, there was news from outside that the Princess Qin was missing."

"..."

With these words, the air turned cold again.

Evidently, General Pasha did not recognize Shang Ruyi, so even though she was sitting not far from him on a leather mat, he didn’t recognize her and only mentioned it as a small advantage. However, those in the Western Turks were already aware that Yu Wenquan had ascended as Emperor, had enfeoffed his second son Yu Wenye as King Qin, and also knew that the woman whom their Crown Prince Ashina Zhuxie had brought back was the Dasheng Dynasty’s Princess Qin.

It was hardly a surprise anymore.

Ashina Shali waved his hand listlessly, again about to dismiss General Pasha, when Pasha casually added, "I heard she is called Shang Ruyi."

"...!"

In an instant, Ashina Shali’s gaze sharpened.

And Shang Ruyi’s breathing grew tense as well.

She saw Ashina Shali suddenly lean forward, nearly knocking over the table in front of him. The wine cup on the table wobbled, spilling the wine, but he paid no attention to it, his eyes intensely fixed on General Pasha: "You said, what is the name of that Princess Qin’s surname?"

"Shang Ruyi—surname, Shang."

"..."

The moment the words were spoken, the entire grassland fell silent.

Hundreds of eyes simultaneously focused on Shang Ruyi, some with anger, some with malice, like blades and swords carrying the heat of flames, wanting nothing more than to pierce through her body.

And Ashina Shali also slowly looked toward her, a sinister, bloodthirsty grin spreading across his face.

He said, "Is your surname Shang?"